WLWT Investigates: Man claims abandoned homes are up for grabs

A family in Springdale returned from an out-of-town visit to a dying relative to find someone else had moved into their home of 21 years. Their outrage has now turned into a court battle, pitting them against a man who says he has the court documents to prove the house is now his.

WLWT News 5's Karin Johnson began to investigate and uncovered a dozen cases, all linked to the same man.

Robert Carr went into the home on Springdale Lake Drive, changed the locks and emptied the house. The family said when they confronted Carr, he showed them a document he filed with the Hamilton County Court.

It's called a "quiet title" and lays claim to the property because Carr said the family abandoned the house and gave up all rights.

Johnson visited the houses, finding some with "no trespassing" signs posted by Carr -- even though he is not currently listed as the legal owner of any of the houses.

Johnson tracked down Carr at a house on Geneva Road in Forest Park for which he has also filed ownership documents.

"When you abandon a property, bam, walk away from it, 'I ain't never coming back. I don't want nothing to do with it,' right? Somebody can come in, 'Oh, mine,'" Carr told Johnson, describing why he believed the properties could be taken.

Carr said he does not do this alone.

"I have a team of people who go out and I say make sure the house is empty. If it's empty, change the locks," Carr said.

Johnson asked Carr, "You can just come in and change the locks and become owner?" To which he replied, "Anybody can."

But the family from Springdale told Johnson this has devastated them.

"I feel violated. (I'm) very scared, you know, because I never know if somebody's going to be here," the homeowner said.

The family attorney told Johnson the legal fight is adding to a painful year for the family.

"This is stress that has fallen on their shoulders out of nowhere, after the death of a loved one and now they're responsible to answer to this," Warner said.

Carr has been charged with breaking and entering in one case of disputed ownership. He is fighting that charge.

Johnson obtained a copy of the indictment, upon which Carr wrote across the front "rejected" and "offer not accepted."

Johnson contacted the FBI, where agents would not comment on this specific case. However, Special Agent in Charge Kevin Cornelius told Johnson the bureau has seen similar cases before.

"They'll come together as groups to receive training, how to conduct some of these schemes from a financial standpoint, to understand what they consider the common law and how they can use that common law for their sovereign purposes," Cornelius said. "I'm not familiar (with) any cases where it's held up in court. I think that it holds up the process of the court's decision."

RETURNS TO FIND "SOMEONE ELSE" HAS MOVED INTO THEIR HOME OF 21 YEARS! THAT PERSON SAYS HE HAS COURT DOCUMENTS TO PROVE THE HOUSE IS NOW HIS. WLWT NEWS FIVE'S KARIN JOHNSON INVESTIGATED.. AND UNCOVERED A DOZEN CASES.. LINKED TO THE SAME MAN... A SPRINGDALE FAMILY SAYS THEY'RE SO SCARED... THEY'VE ASKED US NOT TO IDENTIFY THEM.. THEY'RE MOVING TO PITTSBURGH.. AND THE BANK IS FORECLOSING ON THEIR HOME HERE. BUT THEY CAME HOME ONE AFTERNOON TO FIND LOCKS HAD BEEN CHANGED, AND NOT BY THE BANK. (victim: we did the only thing family should do, we went and took care of him) CARING FOR A DYING FATHER.. BATTLING HEALTH ISSUES... THIS HAS BEEN A ROUGH YEAR FOR THE FAMILY. (it's really been hard) AND IT JUST GOT WORSE. (victim walking and showing us the window: this is the window they broke in, they opened this window and took the air conditioner out) A STRANGER... CHANGED THE LOCKS... AND EMPTIED THE HOUSE... ..WHEN CONFRONTED--- (VICTIM: this gentleman said, now I understand why you're so upset you thought you've been robbed. DUH! Isn't that what you did to us?) MEET ROBERT CARR. HE SHOWED THE FAMILY A DOCUMENT HE FILED WITH HAMILTON COUNTY COURTS. IT'S CALLED A QUIET TITLE--- SAYING THE HOUSE THAT'S BEEN THEIRS FOR 21 YEARS, IS NOW HIS. (ALISON WARNER/ATTORNE Y: what he's looking for is full is full title and ownership of the home) ...WITHOUT PAYING A DIME. (WARNER: he's in their home, they don't know when he's there. He can be there now.) HE WASN'T AT THE HOME ON SPRINGDALE LAKE DRIVE WHEN WE WERE THERE... INSTEAD WE TRACKED HIM DOWN AT A HOUSE ON GENEVA ROAD IN FOREST PARK... (hi, are you mr robert carr?) WHERE'S HE'S DONE THE SAME THING. (ROBERT CARR: why not? The property's vacant) AND...OUR INVESTIGATION FOUND... 11 HOUSES... IN SPRINGDALE, FOREST PARK, FAIRFIELD AND HAMILTON... WHERE CARR HAS FILED THE SAME PAPERWORK... SEVEN ON THE SAME DAY. (CARR: when you abandon a property, bam! Walk away from it. I ain't never coming back, I don't want nothing to do with it, right? Somebody can come in ohhh mine.) CARR'S EVEN POSTED NO TRESPASSING SIGNS... (CARR: I don't care about a deed, I don't need a deed.) (karin: you can just come in and change the locks and become owner? Carr: Anybody can, anybody can) (CARR: have a team of people who go out and I say make sure the house is empty, if it's empty, change the locks) CREATING HEARTACHE... FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE ALREADY GOING THROUGH A ROUGH TIME. (WARNER: this is stress that has fallen on their shoulders out of no where, after the death of a loved one and now they're responsible to answer to this) THAT'S ON TOP OF THE FEAR THE FAMILY SAYS THEY NOW LIVE IN. (VICTIM: I feel violated, very scared ya know, because I never know if somebody's going to be here) IN ONE OF THE CASES, CARR HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH BREAKING AND ENTERING... A CHARGE HE IS FIGHTING. THIS IS A COPY OF HIS INDICTMENT.... WHICH HE REJECTED AND EVEN WROTE ON THE FRONT "OFFER NOT ACCEPTED." THE F-B-I WON'T COMMENT ON THIS SPECIFIC CASE... BUT TELLS US... IT HAS SEEN SIMILAR CASES BEFORE... (KEVIN CORNELIUS/SPECIA L AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI: they'll come together as groups to receive training, how to conduct some of these schemes from a financial standpoint, to understand what they consider the common law and how they can use that common law for their sovereign purposes) SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, KEVIN CORNELIUS TELLS US... CLAIMS LIKE THIS... HAVE NO BASIS IN THE LAW. (CORNELIUS: i'm not familiar of any cases where it's held up in court. I think that it holds up the process of the courts decision) IF YOU WANT TO CAN READ THE DOCUMENTS CARR IS FILING WITH THE COURTS... WE HAVE THEM POSTED.. ON WLWT-DOT-COM.